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I have to say, I wouldn’t work at the Gap, but only because I am terrible at folding clothes. I have considered becoming a waitress again. And, during finals, I threatened to stop plucking my chin, get a few more tattoos, and join the circus freak show.

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S asked me today what if, at medical school, they were really training me to be a super secret ninja, and they were only brainwashing me to think I was going to medical school.

I laughed, quickly wondered if it would be easier to train to be a super secret ninja. I’d definitely be in better shape.

He responded, with deadpan seriousness, “No, really, mom. What if?”

And, Z told me the other day, “I don’t ever want to change or grow up, because then Dada is going to melt.” I figure he saw some book where a kid grows up and his dad ages, and gets more stooped over and his face starts to droop. Kind of like a dashboard figurine melting or something, in a way. I reassured him that his dad would age exactly like Papa Steve, his dad’s dad. Z is cool with that.

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These links are certified gluten and wheat free. I was researching gluten free foods for a friend whose child has been recently diagnosed with celiac disease, and has chronic reflux and other digestive issues. Gluten is found in wheat and other grains (so, in pretty much everything), and celiac disease and wheat allergies are common and commonly misdiagnosed. I decided to put them the links on here in case anyone knows anyone who may need such information.

Parents of children who are…what is the new-to-me term I read in Brain, child magazine?…neurologically diverse, especially on the autism spectrum, often try wheat and dairy free diets with varying success.

I heard a show on celiac disease a while ago on NPR, and they said it is so common, so misdiagnosed, and so treatable with such great benefits (a serious reduction in GI complaints and reduced rate of colon cancer) that some countries are requiring celiac disease screening for all infants. It is a simple blood test. I think anyone with chronic gastric complaints should get a screening. Perhaps all kids, since some people can have celiac and be asymptomatic. I have a friend who was vegetarian and died from colon cancer when he was younger than 30. I would be willing to wager he had undiagnosed celiac disease.

Many recent studies indicate that the protein found in oats may not be harmful to most people with celiac disease. However, there is concern that the oats may be contaminated

with wheat during the milling and processing. Please consult your physician or dietitian before adding oats to your child’s diet.”

The glossary of grains and flours gives them a big red “NO” mark. When I used to work in the health food industry, many parents did have their kids eating oats, which I think are an incredibly healthy food. Please consult with your health care practitioner, your internet, and your own brain, and then consider this recipe, which I am eating right now as I type this:

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This is what I did to blow off steam, “get my flow going” (as I was told to do in my “How to Survive Medical School” orientation) and see sunlight while I was studying for finals.

I am so proud of how my baby plants are doing. I grew some stuff from seeds I harvested myself from last year. I planted some baby plants, too.

I have green beans, yellow pear tomatoes, other varieties of red tomatoes, all sorts of peppers, cucumbers, green beans, lots of herbs, lettuces, and more. I really want to go to Home Depot to get onion bulbs and strawberry plants. Oh, damn, Zach is allergic. That really wouldn’t be fair. Shit. Well, maybe they’ll have another type of berry I can grow here? Damn, we loved those last year. Before we knew about the allergy.

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The med school ewwwww! moment of the day is brought to you by histology.

The mucociliary escalator is the name for the upward movement of debris which is caught in mucous by motile cilia in the respiratory mucosa. Pretty much, the little nose hairs play hand off with dirty boogers. My histo teacher reminds us, “This is an up escalator.”

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I had what I hope was my last gross anatomy test today. At the end of the lab practical, I threw my hands up in the air (still holding my clipboard) and said “YES!”

I may be tutoring next year, but we’ll see. I am not going to miss dissection. Some aspects of anatomy are really cool, but I am not going to miss the smell or the frustration of the dissections.

So, one more written and practical final to go, this one in Histology. I think I may sleep first, however. I fell asleep today in the library watching a dissection video between the written test and the practical. Good thing I didn’t sleep through the practical. I had the potential for having very strange dreams, considering I was watching disembodied hands dissect the pharynx.